A&M International Hosts Business Leaders from Numerous Countries

Texas A&M International University's College of
Business Administration will host business leaders
from seven countries who will visit Laredo April 29-May
1 to learn how international trade is conducted here.

The business leaders will visit the United States at
the invitation of the United States Information Agency
as part of a project studying the globalization of
business and markets.

Duane Burdorf, director of the Texas Center for Border
Economic and Enterprise Development at A&M International,
said this year's visitors will be coming from Bangladesh,
India, Mozambique, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Tunisia
and Vietnam. Among the visitors are bank executives,
economic researchers, business consultants and corporation
executives.

"Every year, the U.S. Information Agency receives
visitors from different countries and sends them to
different parts of the United States so that they can
learn about how things are done here," Burdorf
said. "For the past 10 years, Laredo has been
chosen because of its growth, the amount of trade it
has seen and the way it has handled growth. Laredo
has transformed from a tourist location to an Air Force
base and then to a logistical center for international
trade."

Among activities planned for the visitors are lectures
by local and regional business practitioners. Topics
to be explored include an overview of banking, maquilas
and investments in the late 1990's; Laredo and the
economy; maquiladoras; Laredo and NAFTA 1994-1997;
and environmental conditions on the Texas-Mexico Border.
The visitors will also tour Nuevo Laredo and learn
about maquiladoras.

The group's goals include reviewing the social, political
and economic implications of globalization; demonstrating
practical examples of globalized business, markets,
planning and action on the part of large and small
business and communities; and discussing educational,
environmental, communication, free market and democracy
issues relating to globalization.

Burdorf noted that the programs of study offered by
the College of Business Administration, including international
logistics, trade and banking, uniquely apply to the
visitors' project goals.

"We are an international University and we can
cater to international visitors. We believe we have
the expertise to give these visitors a good briefing
and provide them with relevant information that they
can take back to their countries and use," Burdorf
said.

According to Burdorf, some of the countries represented
in the visit are interested in establishing businesses
similar to maquiladoras, and the Nuevo Laredo tour
will give the visitors a needed perspective on maquiladoras.